Like uploading, this is another way in which gender will eventually be equalized. With bionic muscles, there's no more need for mace or tasers to discourage rapists, because every gender will have equal access to the same amount of physical power, currently doled out disproportionately to males at birth... the original basis for, and perhaps even still a significant contribution to, our patriarchical society.

Put another way, you don't need vampires or the supernatural to have a slayer with the same superhuman strength and abilities as Buffy.

Comments

Fascinating. Yes, I agree that gender inequity has a great deal to do with disparity in physical strength. Equal protection under law goes a long way, but it's a top-down solution that doesn't really affect the roots of gender division.

Guns would still kill enhanced people just fine; so this strength alone will not make soldiers very super, and probably not worth the trouble.

I think the first good use would be emergency response teams, like firefighters as they mentioned, and similar things where strength might be required but is not easily planned for (by bringing an appropriate machine).

And then consider how it affects choice. Let's say say these enhancements become cheap and readily available. Can you feel safe at night if you aren't "supered" yourself? I can imagine many of your average people not buying into strength enhancement, but I also imagine it being the rage amongst street gangs. How much different is this than a gun, i.e. the one without the enhancement is practically helpless.

yeah... I know. lots of scary possibilities too. an army of supersoldiers doesn't sound very nice. As with any new technology, it has both good and bad uses. I'm an optimist, especially in terms of technology, so I generally think the good will outweigh the bad. But it may depend on how people adapt to it, who has access to it, etc.